al-Qaida-linked cleric al-Awlaki Dead?

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Did somebody follow Obama's call for a hit on an American citizen, and take out al-Awlaki?

Yemen is claiming that the U.S.-born al-Qaida cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has been killed.

I am not sure if I trust Yemen, under normal circumstances, but why would they lie about this?

According to Yemeni security and tribal officials, an airstrike believed to be by U.S. aircraft targeted a convoy of cars and it was believed al-Awlaki may have been in the convoy.

al-Awlaki is thought to have been behind a number of recent attacks on the U.S., and even had email exchanges with such people as the U.S. Army major accused of a murderous shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas.

My distrust of Yemen's information on this is born from past reports of the deaths of al-Qaida leaders who were later found to be alive. Al-Awlaki was last reported to have been killed in December 2009.

But, then again, perhaps this time it is true.

UPDATE: Obama seems awful proud of the fact that the U.S. carried out a kill order by him against an American citizen. If the CIA is responsible, is that not a dangerous proposition when you see American agencies going out and killing Americans? Talk about hypocrisy. These people complained about Water Boarding, but the laws of the United States seem to mean nothing to them when it comes to targeting, and killing, Americans. Constitutionally, wasn't al-Awlaki supposed to be given due process? Or, regardless of who he was, should we rejoice that yet another dangerous terrorist has been stopped for good? Hard to rejoice when the president's actions were contrary to the U.S. Constitution. Opens up a dangerous precedent.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Yemen says al-Qaida-linked cleric al-Awlaki killed - Yahoo News, Associated Press